Turn grief over Orlando killings into actions to create stronger America
Many Americans are reacting admirably and compassionately to the mass killings at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Fla. It’s encouraging to see the outpouring of support for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities in this nation and for tougher gun laws.
But it’s also dismaying to see so many politicians and others using the deaths of 49 victims to incite fear and even hatred of Muslims and to push back against sensible control of assault weapons.
Americans must turn the grief over the Orlando shootings into positive actions that will help them learn more about and to accept the diverse populations that make up this country.
The gunman in Orlando, contrary to what Muslim haters were spreading Sunday, does not appear to be any kind of Islamic State operative. Instead, he previously had expressed the rantings of a mentally unstable person, angry at gay people and blacks.
As America goes forward from this tragedy, good and stable leadership at the national and local levels can help create a stronger nation.
Learning more about the Muslim culture
Just before the worst mass shooting in U.S. history occurred early Sunday morning, more than 100 people in the Kansas City area gathered at the Leawood Community Center on Saturday night for the Crescent Peace Society’s annual interfaith iftar, or fast-breaking dinner.
The shared experience to help celebrate the holy month of Ramadan with neighbors and friends is what has to occur to dispel myths and “burst the bubble of hatred,” which led to the Orlando shooting, said Ahsan Latif, president of the Crescent Peace Society.
The society started in 1996 after the April 19, 1995, bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City. Muslims in the U.S. were originally blamed by many for a tragedy that killed 168 people and injured hundreds more. But it was domestic terrorism. Timothy McVeigh was captured, convicted and executed in that case.
Crescent Peace Society advisory board member Mahnaz Shabbir said that the bombing six years before 9/11 taught area Muslims they had to do more to help others understand the truth about Islam.
“We realized we had to do more work, not for ourselves, but for our children,” she said.
Some of Shabbir’s children are now adults, and people like her in the group are now grandparents. Yet the problems continue, targeting minorities like Muslims and the LGBT community. Latif expressed sadness for the suffering of the LGBT community in the Orlando mass shooting and solidarity in the groups’ “shared pursuit of justice against discrimination.”
Kansas City as a ‘rainbow city’
Mayor Sly James deserves much credit for his call for Kansas Citians to support the Orlando victims by wearing rainbow colors on Monday. Many did just that.
The day before, people from around the Kansas City area demonstrated their unity during a peaceful gathering at Barney Allis Plaza in the aftermath of the Orlando tragedy.
Every day, organizations like the Kansas City Anti-Violence Project also help by staffing a hotline and working with area police and schools to ensure that the community is inclusive and safe place for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender residents.
Clinton vs. Trump
The Orlando attack highlighted some of the stark differences between the two presumptive presidential candidates.
Hillary Clinton focused her remarks on some practical solutions while Donald Trump appealed far more to emotional responses to the Orlando massacre.
Clinton is dead-on correct to call on Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Qatar to stop funding terrorism in the Middle East, which helps breed hatred for the United States when it takes part in military operations to try to stop the spread of terrorism.
The Democratic candidate also was on the right track in reiterating her support for bans on assault weapons. Trump twisted that into a bogus claim that Clinton wanted to abolish the Second Amendment.
Trump in a speech raised his ugly and off-base call for banning all Muslims from entering the United States. The Republican candidate looked simply foolish in criticizing the nation’s immigration system as one cause of the Orlando killings; the gunman was born in the United States.
By focusing on the fact that some illegal immigrants commit heinous crimes once they get into the United States, Trump risks destroying an immigration process that largely has served this country well for decades. It has allowed in huge numbers of educated foreigners and many hard workers who have contributed to making America a much better country.
A good path forward
The United States will need level-headed leadership to prevent terrorist attacks at home and abroad and to contend wisely with any that might occur. Brash, foolish statements and actions will only make matters worse.
President Barack Obama was right when he said of the gunman: “What is clear is that he was a person filled with hatred. This could have been any one of our communities.”
Taking a stand against violence everywhere and against powerful assault firearms is important. That unity in the face of hatred and terrorism will make important statements about the character of this country.
This story was originally published June 13, 2016 at 5:42 PM with the headline "Turn grief over Orlando killings into actions to create stronger America."